Cutting device.



J- R. WEBB.

CUTTING DEVICE.

A r APPLICATION FILED 1AN.23. 191.8.

Patelited J an. 21, 1919.

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CUTTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mnza, 1918.

1.292, 1 81. Patehted Jan. 21, 1919. I 2 SHfiETS-SHEET 2.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. WEBB, or PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA. I

CUTTING DEVICE.

Application filed January 23, 1918. Serial No. 213,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. WEBB, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CuttingDevices, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to cutting devices, and more articularly to adevice adapted especially for opening envelops, and similar containers.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device as illustratedof simple construction and operation, which may be manufactured at acomparatively small cost.

A further 0b ect of the invention is to provide adevice having avertically operated cutting blade, which is pivotally mounted at one endso as to be moved into en gagement with the envelop to be opened topromote cutting or shearing of the end portion thereof.

A further object is to provide a blade and a stop member so related asto insure that but a very small portionof the end of envelo be cut oil",this stop portion and the slot in which the blade operates cooperatingto direct the out 01f strip or shaving into the interior of thesupporting base.

A further object is to provlde a device in which the cuttings arecollected in a removable container.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description. V

In the drawings 1 Figure 1, is a side view of a cutting deviceconstructed in accordancewith my invention;

Fig. 2, is a view side of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3, is a top plan view;

Fig. 4, is an end view; and

Fig. 5, is a section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The cutting mechanism proper is supported on a base A, which is In theform of a box having a bottom 1, sides 2, end walls 3 and top strip 4. Adrawer 5 is slidably mounted in this base through one side thereof andprovided with the usual hand knob 6, for easy manipulation thereof. Aplate 7 of sheet metal is secured to the top edges of the end walls 3,and extends the full length of the base A. This plate is of such widthas to extend to withtaken from the opposite Specification of LettersPatent.

in a short distance of the inner edge of the top strip 4, and isprovided at its inner edge with an integral vertically directed flangeor stop member 8. This plate cooperates with the strip 4 to produce aslot 9, which extends the full length of the base. A plate 10 is securedto side walls 2 of the base, the upper portion 10 of the late beingsecured over the top strip 4, and the intermediate portion 10 of theplate being inclined downwardly thus providing means whereby the letterto be cut may be easily moved upon the table constituted by the upperstrip 4 and the upper portion 10 of the plate. To facilitate movement ofthe letter transversely of this table, suitable guide strips 11 aresecured to the plate 10 adjacent each end thereof and extending acrossthe portions 10 and 10 of the plate. These guide strips serve to preventdisplacement of the envelop when being moved upon the tablelongitudinally of the base. I

The top surface 4 is formed of strap metal of suitable gage. This stripis bent upwardly and inwardly at'right angles, at one end, to provide asupporting arm 12. This arm is provided, at its inner edge, with anintegral finger 13 which is disposed in parallelism with the slot 9, theinner face of this finger being in the plane of the inner edge ofthestrip 4. A cutting arm 14 is pivotally secured at one end to finger13 by a screw 15 inserted through this arm and finger this screw beingmaintained in operative position by the usual nut 16. A cutting blade 17is secured to the arm 14, this blade being positioned intermediate thearm and finger 13. The lower edge portion of the outer face of the bladeis beveled, as at 18 to provide a cutting edge, this cutting edge beingsubstantially in the plane of the inner end of the cutting plate orstrip 17 which is secured to the upper face of top strip 4, the inneredge of the top strip 4 being flush with the inner edge of the plate 19.The cutting edge of the plate 17 is inclined to give a draw out, asshown. The operating lever 14 is extended beyond the cutting blade, toprovide a handle 20. To permit the base and the cutting means carriedthereby to be readily secured to a table or other means of support, aspring clamp 21 is secured to one end of the base A, this clampprojecting beneath bottom 1 and being adapted to fit snugly about theedge portion of a table, as indicated. By this means, the base may befixedly the letters to be opened are placed, the letters being thenopened in succession by cutting a strip from the end of each one.

In using this device, the letters are placed on a table to which thebase A is secured, as

indicated, after which the letters are moved one at a time across thetable 10 and plate 19 so as to bring the inner end of the envelop intoengagement with stop member 8. After the envelop has been moved intosuch. position as to bring the inner end thereof into engagement withthe stop member 8, the arm 14 which has been raised is depressed thusbringing the cutting edge of the blade 17 into engagement with theenvelop so as to cut a narrow strip of material from the inner endthereof, thus opening the container. This strip of material which hasbeen cut from the envelop will be directed downwardly through slot 9into the drawer 5, due to the fact that the lower edge portion of thecutting blade is beveled downwardly toward the cutting plate 19. Thedrawer 5 may be removed and emptied, when necessary as will be obvious.a

It will be evident that there may be slight changes made in theconstruction and arrangement of the specific form of my invention,without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theclaims, and I intend to include all such variations'as fall Within thescope of the appended claims, in the application, in which a preferredform only of my invention is disclosed. 1

'What I claim is:

1. An envelop opener comprising a hollow base provided with a centrallylocated 101).? gitudinal slot, one edge of the slot having an upstandingflange, a blade pivotally mounted on the base near one end thereof, andhaving its cutting edge disposed to move adjacent the edge of the slotopposite to the said flange, the said blade being beveled from thecutting edge toward the said flange whereby a beveled said blade ismoved into the said slot, the said blade being adapted to force the cutCopies of this patent may be obtained for and easily secured to a tableon which recess is formed when the five cents each, by addressing theWashingtonh. G.

portion of the envelop through the said slot when it reaches itsdownward limit of movement.

2. Ina device of the character described, a box like base, said baseprovided with a slot through its top, a stop member defining one edge ofsaid slot and adapted to positively limit inwardmovement of envelopsacross the base, a blade pivotally secured on the base at oneendandmovable toWard and away from the topthereof, said blade having itslower edge portion beveled from one face so as to form a cutting edgewhich is disposed substantially in the plane of the 7 other edge of theslot, the beveled edge of the blade and the stop member cooperating todirect cuttings through the slot.

3. In a device of the character described, a box like base, a top stripsecured to the upper edges of the ends of said base, said top stripbeing provided at one end with a supporting standard and an inwardlydirected finger formed integral therewith, said finger being disposedsubstantially in the plane of the inner edge of said top strip, a I

top plate secured to the upper edges of the ends of the base andprovided at its inner edge with an upwardly directed stop member, thisstop member being spaced from the inner edge of the top strip andcooperating therewith, to provide a slot extending longitudinally of thesame, a cutting knife p1v-' otally secured at one end to said finger andmovable toward and away from the top-of the base, said knife beingo-perative'in the slot and having its lower portion beveledfrom one facetozprovide a cutting edge substantially inthe plane of the inner edge ofthe top strip, the knife and the stop member cooperating go directcuttings through said slot into the 'ase. I

in presence of two witnesses. I I

7 JOHN R WEBB. I

Witnesses: I V I 1 G. R. SAMs, C. M. STUKEY.

f Commissioner ofiPatents,

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature the beveled cutting edge of

